New Zealand - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

[IceCreamMan]

On 2/24/2023 at 12:33 AM, patches said:

Interesting, but I guess not overly surprising if I think about it. I imagine that the 401's 372cc engine is loosely based on the FE350 enduro bike's one, but with a few extra cc's, 1 less cam, and not-so highly strung.

Whilst my 350 was great, there was a massive noticeable difference i grunt (especially off the line) between that and my 450.

Maybe you need the 701 bigger brother 😉 

I have a 372 in an RC390 which is the same as the pilen range. It’s lumpy at low revs and it’s essential to be in the right gear or else it chugs. But it’s smooth higher up in the rev range and it’s a barrel of fun. Best handling bike I have ever owned too. Suspension fitted to it is over kill I reckon but it sure is sexy. 

[Wayne Potgieter]

On 3/3/2023 at 8:04 PM, hayleyearth said:

I can't believe I took my daughter to fit school clothes!! 😥

She's so skinny, the smallest size is a bag on her.

Oh man, cherish the moments. They go by so damn quick.

JD is in year 9, has armpit hair and his voice sounds all funny.

Erin is a senior in primary school and goes to intermediate next year. 

Weirdly, I am still the exact same age and have not grown older, slower and balder at all 😬

She look adorable Hayley.

[patham]

On 3/6/2023 at 1:09 PM, Wayne Potgieter said:

Weirdly, I am still the exact same age and have not grown older, slower and balder at all 😬

You too huh? But even more weird is the fact that the radio stations now play crap music by people I have never heard of- where has all the decent 80’s& 90’s stuff gone. That’s only like from 10-15 years ago…..tops!

[Stretched@Birth]

1 hour ago, patham said:

You too huh? But even more weird is the fact that the radio stations now play crap music by people I have never heard of- where has all the decent 80’s& 90’s stuff gone. That’s only like from 10-15 years ago…..tops!

For us here in SA, all of that music went to Hot 102.7, along with a bunch of those old DJ's.  For those of you in NZ who may not have heard, Mark Pilgrim passed away on Sunday.

[patham]

22 hours ago, Stretched@Birth said:

For us here in SA, all of that music went to Hot 102.7, along with a bunch of those old DJ's.  For those of you in NZ who may not have heard, Mark Pilgrim passed away on Sunday.

Yes, came across a post about Mark on my LinkedIn feed. He was a VoW DJ from a few years before I studied there. I think I have one of his compilation CD’s in my racks still. He had a good taste, and a calm yet engaging style that was pretty unique. 

[davetapson]

On 3/3/2023 at 8:41 PM, IceCreamMan said:

I have a 372 in an RC390 which is the same as the pilen range. It’s lumpy at low revs and it’s essential to be in the right gear or else it chugs. But it’s smooth higher up in the rev range and it’s a barrel of fun. Best handling bike I have ever owned too. Suspension fitted to it is over kill I reckon but it sure is sexy. 

I chucked a Fuelx Pro onto it. Riches up the fuelng at low revs - transforms it.

Still not a 500 tho.

Dave Moss was in town and had a suspension tuning session after a Shiny Side Up event.

That also transformed it.

It's now a lot of fun - but still not a 500.

In any case, it's perfect for what I use it for (commuting), as opposed to what I'd like to think I'd use it for (touring).

I did some riding around the Waitak's the other day, and North of Albany another day. The damage to the roads is extensive, and all over the place. Typically slips on the down hill sides of the road, talking part of the road with it and reducing roads to one lane all over the place.

There is s lot of fixing to be done, with a lot of shoring up work needed where the slips have occurred. I think it's way worse than is immediately obvious, certainly in terms of cost to repair.

Edited March 10, 2023 by davetapson

[Lifer]

On 3/3/2023 at 8:04 PM, hayleyearth said:

I can't believe I took my daughter to fit school clothes!! 😥

She's so skinny, the smallest size is a bag on her.

On another note, how insane is the cost of a new school uniform? We are just next door to you at CPS with their tailored button up shirts 🤦‍♂️ going for as much as my best work shirts. Highly recommend going the second hand route or starting up a disruptor business. The sports shirts are also way overpriced vs what I pay for a quality dry fit 🤑. Good school I believe, she will love it.

[hayleyearth]

1 hour ago, Lifer said:

On another note, how insane is the cost of a new school uniform? We are just next door to you at CPS with their tailored button up shirts 🤦‍♂️ going for as much as my best work shirts. Highly recommend going the second hand route or starting up a disruptor business. The sports shirts are also way overpriced vs what I pay for a quality dry fit 🤑. Good school I believe, she will love it.

CPS?

 

I have heard about the expensive clothes so when I purchased my daughters I was quite surprised it wasn't too bad - thank goodness I guess for golf shirts and simple fleece jackets.

Edited March 14, 2023 by hayleyearth

[Lifer]

2 hours ago, hayleyearth said:

CPS?

 

I have heard about the expensive clothes so when I purchased my daughters I was quite surprised it wasn't too bad - thank goodness I guess for golf shirts and simple fleece jackets.

Churchill Park -yeah we were pretty envious of the golf shirts at Glendowie.

[Lifer]

Anyone still getting on their bikes? I managed to rupture my Achilles in October  just after my bike arrived in country so its been idle. To get some recovery motivation I've entered Whaka 100 (Oct) and Highlander 45 (May) but probably need to actually get onto some trails before then (been commuting and Zwifting). Given our location in Eastern Bays I'm struggling to find time to get out though and only managed a solitary Totara Park ride but would be keen to explore Woodhill/ Riverhead/ Hunua or any other if anyone is keen for company.

[hayleyearth]

19 minutes ago, Lifer said:

Churchill Park -yeah we were pretty envious of the golf shirts at Glendowie.

Why didn't you put them in Glendowie?

[Lifer]

25 minutes ago, hayleyearth said:

Why didn't you put them in Glendowie?

Zoning, not that we are unhappy at Churchill Park.

[canfan]

On 3/15/2023 at 1:16 PM, Lifer said:

Anyone still getting on their bikes? I managed to rupture my Achilles in October  just after my bike arrived in country so its been idle. To get some recovery motivation I've entered Whaka 100 (Oct) and Highlander 45 (May) but probably need to actually get onto some trails before then (been commuting and Zwifting). Given our location in Eastern Bays I'm struggling to find time to get out though and only managed a solitary Totara Park ride but would be keen to explore Woodhill/ Riverhead/ Hunua or any other if anyone is keen for company.

Are you doing the 100km version of the Whaka or one of the shorter distances? The 100km is pretty brutal. I am doing the 50km again this year on the Saturday and then the 25km with my son on the Sunday. Happy to meet up for a ride if you keen. I am close to Woodhill and Riverhead but also happy to travel to Hanua/Totara. I have only been to Hanua and Totara once each.

[Lifer]

On 3/16/2023 at 2:22 PM, canfan said:

Are you doing the 100km version of the Whaka or one of the shorter distances? The 100km is pretty brutal. I am doing the 50km again this year on the Saturday and then the 25km with my son on the Sunday. Happy to meet up for a ride if you keen. I am close to Woodhill and Riverhead but also happy to travel to Hanua/Totara. I have only been to Hanua and Totara once each.

Hi, sorry busy weekend. I signed up to the 100km to force some fear induced Achilles recovery and thinking I could downgrade to 50km if necessary but looks like that will be sold out. So plan currently is to attempt to slug it out. Your option looks a good one, my girls are still a bit too young for the 25km but may look at the shorter options. Yeah, I'd be keen to join you at any of the above! I'm away this weekend but should be good thereafter.

[patches]

It's been a while since I posted some "Good" from the beautiful scenery that makes up New Zealand, so here's a photo dump from a South Island road trip I took my Mom on, a couple of weeks back.

We did Christchurch to Queenstown, with various stops along the way.

Rakaia Gorge

 Lake Pukaki (looking towards Mt Cook)

 

Mt Cook Station (A Cattle Farm we stayed at for a night)

 

Clay Cliffs (near Omarama)

 

Shotover Gorge (view from our Queenstown accommodation front porch)

 

Lake Hayes (Arrowtown)

 

The infamous Wanaka Tree

 

Wanaka Lavender Farm

 

View from the Arrowtown end of the Crown Range

 

After this trip, I think I'm 70% of the way to convincing my wife into moving South.

[Wayne Potgieter]

On 4/11/2023 at 9:30 AM, patches said:

It's been a while since I posted some "Good" from the beautiful scenery that makes up New Zealand, so here's a photo dump from a South Island road trip I took my Mom on, a couple of weeks back.

We did Christchurch to Queenstown, with various stops along the way.

Rakaia Gorge

 Lake Pukaki (looking towards Mt Cook)

 

Mt Cook Station (A Cattle Farm we stayed at for a night)

 

Clay Cliffs (near Omarama)

 

Shotover Gorge (view from our Queenstown accommodation front porch)

 

Lake Hayes (Arrowtown)

 

The infamous Wanaka Tree

 

Wanaka Lavender Farm

 

View from the Arrowtown end of the Crown Range

 

After this trip, I think I'm 70% of the way to convincing my wife into moving South.

Yep, we are really lucky. 

I spent the last 10 days in Japan and as much as I loved our trip and had the time of my life, I am really glad to LIVE in NZ.